Meet Mark Soporowski, Running For Middletown School Board

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — As many know, Nov. 5 will also be the Middletown school board election.

Five candidates are running for three seats on the Middletown Board of Education. They are: Current Board member Deb Wright, current Board member Joan Minnuies, current Board member Kate Farley, joined by a local mom running with her this year, Sara Weinstein (Today's Children First) and Mark Soporowski (Common Sense Education).

This is Soporowski's second year running; he ran last year for Middletown school board, and was not elected. Here's his website and Facebook page: marksoporowski.com

facebook.com/msoporowski

Patch asked all five candidates the same set of questions so they can introduce themselves to voters. All five candidates got back to us and submitted their answers. Soporowski was the first to reply; here are his answers:

1. Provide a brief bio on yourself. Age, education, occupation.

My name is Mark Soporowski, 39 years old. I have proudly called Middletown home since 2009, after growing up in Old Bridge. I chose Middletown because of its vibrant community, strong values and excellent schools, making it an ideal place to raise a family. I am a devoted husband to a middle school teacher and the father of two children who are in second grade and kindergarten (in Middletown public schools).

As a long-standing small-business owner in Middletown, I’ve had the honor of employing and building relationships with many local families. My earlier career in the music industry allowed me to travel the world, broadening my horizons and deepening my appreciation for the arts. These experiences have profoundly shaped my views on the essential role education plays in fostering creativity, discipline, and critical thinking in our children.

2. For current school board members, what is some of the work you're proudest of that the Board has done?

While I am not currently on the board, I am proud to have actively advocated for the return of full-year elementary music and art programs through a previous campaign, and by attending nearly every board meeting over the past two years. I’m thrilled that these essential programs were reinstated this year, giving students the opportunity to explore the arts and further foster a love for learning. Hearing my son and daughter come home excited about their music classes reaffirmed the positive impact these programs can have on our children.

3. Where do you think the Board needs to improve?

The Board needs to improve by getting back to civility. It's time to move past the bickering and focus on real-life issues that will help our kids thrive. Disagreements on policy will always happen, but it's crucial to have camaraderie once the mics are off. As a small-business owner, I’ve had to take a pragmatic approach to bridging gaps between differing opinions, and I’ve seen firsthand that real work gets done when people with different visions come together and find common ground. If the Board could operate with that same level of professionalism — more civilized and solutions-oriented — I believe it would be far more effective in serving both our students and our community.

4. What do you think of the Middletown school board passing its transgender student policy that some say outs students to their parents? For those not on the board, if you were on the board, would you have voted for or against the policy?

I completely disagree with Policy 5756, and I want to make that clear upfront. I also strongly disagree with how the board handled the entire process. We have elected officials who are also lawyers currently on the board, along with legal counsel available to guide us, but proper due diligence was not done. The policy should have been removed, not amended. Other districts have dealt with this issue without the legal problems we’re now facing, clearly there were better ways to approach it. If I were on the board, I would have voted against it, and pushed for its removal. As it stands now, the policy is still in effect due to the injunction against the district.

5. Looking ahead, what are some of the biggest challenges facing the Middletown school district in the next 2 - 5 years, and how do you plan to confront them?

One of the biggest challenges we're going to continue to face is dealing with continued funding cuts from Trenton. We have to find ways to make smart financial decisions that limit the impact on taxpayers, but still allow our schools to grow and thrive. We cannot be shortsighted when additional revenue comes in, such as from the sale of the Port Monmouth school; it must be carefully preserved and spent wisely. Our buildings are old, and a lot of them need serious repairs and upgrades. We need to be strategic about capital improvements, making sure we invest in projects that will benefit the district in the long run. Our school facilities and resources should reflect the property assessments in town — our community deserves that.

At the same time, we must continue to expand our arts programs and restore essential life skills classes like home economics, personal finance and vocational training. These programs are vital in preparing our kids for the real world, whether they choose college or directly enter the workforce. Striking a balance between necessary facility improvements and the growth of these programs is crucial to ensuring our students are ready for whatever comes next. This is the foundation of a common-sense approach to education that truly meets the needs of every student.

For Middletown Township Committee, Mayor Tony Perry (Republican) seeks re-election, and he will be challenged by Democrat Mike Morris. Patch asked Morris a similar set of questions, and he also got back to us. Stay tuned!